Cisco and the Meta Girl
by IndigoSparrow
Summary: When a young English professor Lena Adler starts to believe that she has become part of the strange things that have been happening around Central city since the Particle Accelerator incident, even stranger things happen. A few run-ins with the Flash and she finds herself in S.T.A.R. Labs and meets Cisco, who admires her knack for nicknaming and love for movies.
1. Chapter 1

I have a really hard time connecting with people, but I can get along with anyone. It may seem contradictory, I know. Though I've always fancied myself a great mind reader—as in I understand human emotion pretty well. When I'm waiting in line at a supermarket, my favorite thing to do is read the line. Who's in a rush? Who's frustrated? I watch them closely, not creepily though. I just watch them. It's like a moment of vulnerability. They are trapped there in that line with nothing else to do but wait. It's like a peek into their real selves. This is unusual to witness since not many truly let their walls down.

Today is like any other day at Central City's supermarket. I wait in line and do my usual people watching. The mother in front of me is resisting the urge to slap her whiny 6-year-old son who is shoving Kit Kats in his pockets thinking his mom isn't watching. You can see the frustration sketched within the lines on her face. I place my things on the turn style and look back to see if anyone was behind me to place a separator. There was a man with one item, a box wine. He's wearing a black hoody over his head with only his dark eyes peering underneath. He nods at me when I look at him.

I immediately get that feeling in my stomach like when you missed a step while walking down stairs. That sinking feeling that makes your hands tingle. Something wasn't right about the guy in the hood. I actually started to get that tingly sensation only it was in the core of my abdomen. It was powerful. It almost made me feel sick. I swallowed hard and turned around. The hooded man was gone, but his wine still remained. The struggling mother in front of me was finished so I moved forward for the cashier to ring me up.

I smiled at her as she slid my items through. I turned to look for the hooded man, but he was nowhere in sight. The cashier asked if the box wine was mine and I began to shake my head when I heard screams. I step out of the check stand to find the hooded man with a gun directed at the cashier's head behind me. I quickly hunched down behind the counter looking over at the scene. There weren't many of us in the store today, thankfully. I was glad the mother made it out safely.

That tingly sensation took over my whole body now. I watched as the cashier started piling the money into the man's backpack he held out for her. He quickly zipped his pack when she was done filling it, looked around scanning the room with his gun and ran out of the store. I felt a pulling sensation as I watched the criminal run out of the store. I couldn't tell what the feeling was, whether it was him pulling me or me pulling him back. All I kept thinking is I wished I could get the money back. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief once the man was out of sight, but I still felt the pulling.

My cashier quickly picked up her phone and dialed the police. I heard gasps coming from behind me. When I turned, I couldn't believe what I saw. It was the hooded criminal scuffling in with his backpack. He appeared… apologetic. Before we could handle that image, a streak of light zoomed past us and The Flash stopped and stared at the hooded man with us, stunned. The hood looked to The Flash, "I'm sorry," he said, "take it," he unzipped his backpack showing the cash to The Flash and to the cashier he stole from. "Take it all back. I'm sorry." We all stood there gaping. The hooded man glanced over at me. It almost seemed as though he felt the pull too. Maybe it was me who actually did pull him in. Naw, I thought. Strange things have been happening around here, but certainly not to me. The Flash caught the man's glance to me, studied me for a moment and zoomed away with the hooded criminal, leaving the backpack full of cash behind.

When I arrived back home, I kept thinking about that pulling sensation. It was like an invisible link. And that tingly sensation when I saw the hooded man and how strong it became. It was as though… Oh this is crazy. It was as though I made him change his mind. With resolution, I thought, crazy or not, I had to find out if I should commit myself to the mental hospital. No one was home, so I decided to go to the liquor store since it's the only place close to my house where I know someone will be.

I enter the liquor store and pretend to look around. No one is there. I wait a bit longer for someone to walk in, picking up a pack of chocolate Donettes, my guilty pleasure, but I put them back. Looking over at the Coca Colas, I tried to find my name on one of them, but of course they didn't have it. Unfortunately, after a few moments, still no one walked in.

"You need help finding anything, Miss?" I hear the employee call out to me. Shoot! I need to come up with something soon. "No, I'm fine." I answered.

In order to truly test out this newfound maybe-totally-crazy-ability I may have developed since the particle accelerator, I needed it to be something that I couldn't sway someone easily to let me do. So, against my better judgment, I decided to see if I could get away with stealing something. It had to be something that this employee would care about me stealing, and it had to be blatantly obvious I was stealing it. Although I am completely against stealing and breaking the law in general, this was for science, which made me laugh because I am not at all a science person. I'm an English professor after all. So I went over to the employee.

He was a sweet looking man, probably in his late 30's. I looked into his kind eyes. "Excuse me," I began, "Could I see the vodka right there." I pointed towards the more pricey alcohol stored behind the counter. The employee whose name is Ron, as noted on his nametag, looked in the direction I pointed, "This one?" He asked. "Yes, that one." I know nothing about vodka, or alcohol for that matter, but I picked the most expensive looking bottle.

"Would you like this one, Miss?" He smiled congenially.

"Yes, please." I responded. He began to bag it for me and ring it up.

"Oh," I tried to stop him, "I'll just be taking that to go," I watched as his facial expression turned perplexed. Where's that tingly feeling? Shoot. Is it working? I smiled at Ron, hoping I was exuding some kind of persuasion.

"Would you mind just handing that to me now? No need to charge me." I was tensing my stomach at this point trying to resurrect that sensation I felt earlier at the supermarket, but I felt nothing.

I noticed Ron subtly touch something under the desk. My palms felt sweaty. Really? Do I look like a real threat?

"Ron…" I spoke calmly and sweetly. "I don't really need the liquor. I've changed my mind thank you anyway." I began to back away from the counter. I could already hear the sirens from the police cars screeching into the parking lot. Really? Seriously? For me? Well I guess you can't blame Ron. There have been some weird stuff going on around here. I guess even the most innocuous of people can be the most dangerous. I started to run faster, toward my car, but of course, The Flash grabbed me, knocking me to the ground. Once he finally looked at me, he realized he recognized me from earlier. Oh my gosh! The Flash is on top of me _._ He got off me and backed away appearing quizzical at my existence and then he was gone.

An officer ran to me and began to do a quick search of my body and belongings. Seeing that I had nothing on me, no stolen items, no weapons, he walked me into the liquor store. "Excuse me, sir?" He called to Ron. "Was this woman causing you any problems?"

Ron looked a bit frazzled. "She try to steal liquor. Another man came in here last week. Same thing. Looked nice enough, but he killed a co-worker with lasers from his eyes. This girl could have been same." He pointed at me like I was a villain.

The officers studied my petite frame. I lifted my hands up and shrugged.

Since Ron didn't want to press charges, I was set free from the officer's grasp and free from the crazy notion that I actually have a special ability. I roll my eyes just thinking about it.

A couple days later, I get that tingly feeling again while admiring the David Yurman Jewelry at the mall. I was drooling over a necklace with a pendant that was a starburst embedded with diamonds and a pair of earrings that matched the pendant. Although the price tag read well over a thousand for each, when the saleswoman asked if I wanted to try anything on, I didn't hesitate to direct her towards the necklace and earrings.

My reflection in the mirror with the beautiful pendant resting on my chest is astonishing. There's something about expensive jewelry that is transformative to the wearer. I sighed yearningly at what the reflection revealed. As I noticed the salesperson watching my pathetic desire for something I couldn't afford, that tingle began to build in the core of my stomach. I started getting that sick feeling again. I look at the saleswoman and she says for me to take the jewelry. It's on her. She smiles at me and I decided not to question her and thank the gods that this happened. I walk out of the store thinking I am very lucky, until I was being chased after mall security. I run for some reason and then I am scooped up and away. All I see is a flurry of red and yellow and stars… stars?

I wake up in a tiny glass capsule with strange tubular lighting surrounding me. I look around for a door, a way out, but there's nothing. Where the heck am I? I start to bang on the glass. "Help!" I cry out. "Let me out!" There's no reaction. Nothing stirs. Once I finally exhaust myself, I slump down to the ground and clutch my knees to my chest. How did I get myself in this mess?

Right when I was about to cry, a big spaceship-like door opened. The Flash stepped inside and walked closer to my confinement. I actually have always kind of dreamed of this moment, but I would never have dreamt it to be with me in this predicament.

"I've seen you before, right?" He watched me as I slowly released my knees.

I wasn't sure if I had something to hide, but I assume he doesn't miss much so there's no sense in lying.

"Yes." I answer meekly.

"The market, the liquor store, and today at the mall, right?"

I nodded.

"I got a call about stolen jewelry. Did you steal it?" I took a few steps closer to the glass that separates us.

"No. The girl… she said they were on her."

"So you're saying the employee just let you walk out without paying thousands of dollars worth of jewelry?"

I'm really confused as to why this is something of concern to The Flash. Must be a slow crime week. "Yes. I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's—"

"I've heard and even seen unbelievable, but this I believe." He stepped back and leaned against the wall beside the glass confinement.

"You believe me?" I stood up.

"Yep. My colleague ran some tests on you because of the unusual nature of your robbery."

Someone ran tests on me? I must have been out for a while.

"She says you have unusual brain activity. Another colleague of mine has a theory as to what's going on with you, but we have nothing solid, yet."

"Really? You mean… I'm not crazy?" I pressed my hands against the glass.

"That's still on the table." He smirked, but I wouldn't blame him if he was somewhat serious about that comment.

"So, am I free? Will you let me go now?"

"Well, sort of." He stood up away from the wall he was leaning on. " I can let you go, but you have to stay here. We need to figure out what's going on with you. In order for me to let you out, you have to agree to that. What do ya say?"

"Yes, I can do that. I'm agreeable."

The glass opened up. The Flash smiled as I jumped out of there and gave him a hug. "Thank you, thank you! You have no idea what it's been like…" My hand slipped to the emblem on his chest. "Well, maybe you do know what it's like not knowing..."

"It's fine." He pulled me away to look at me. "We can help you." His smile was the most genuine smile I've seen. It was almost like I could feel his honesty and compassion.


	2. Chapter 2

The Flash guided me into a room full of technology I couldn't name, computers, monitors, and the works.

"Wow, so this is," I alter my voice to sound low and mysterious, "'The Flash Fortress'."

"That's what people are calling this?" A voice shouted out from behind a monitor. The owner of the voice poked his head from behind the screen.

I noticed his long black hair and brown eyes. He smirked. "The Flash Fortress." Shrugging, he said, "Eh, it's not bad."

He began to sink back down in his chair when he heard me chuckle.

"That's actually what _I_ call it." I smiled and looked down a little embarrassed.

He cocked his head slightly, curling his lips down and nodded. "I approve." He seemed to scan me quickly. "I'm Cisco."

"The guy who usually comes up with the names around here." The Flash shouted.

"Oh, hey," he turned to me. "We never got your name."

"Jewel Jackal," I smiled at Cisco, who widened his eyes before cracking a smile too.

"I like this girl." Cisco leaned back in his chair.

However, The Flash persisted, "Okay, what's your _real_ name?"

"Adler. Lena Adler." This at least got a laugh out of Cisco.

"Bond!" He stands up from his chair and swaggers over to me. "Finally, someone who watches movies." He puts out his hand and I shake it. "It is nice to meet you, Miss Adler."

I laugh. "I always wanted to do that. And please, call me Lena."

I didn't realize Cisco and I were still shaking hands till Flash interrupted us. "Alright guys, I better run." With that, there was a whirlwind and he was gone. My hair swooshed up. We both let go of our grasp, taking a few steps back. Cisco put his hands in his pockets.

"Do you ever get used to that?" I asked.

"Eh," Cisco shrugs, "It grows on you." He gestured for me to sit on the chair next to him.

I sat down. "So, The Flash tells me one of his colleagues found unusual activity in my brain and another has a theory. Why do I get the feeling you're the one with the theory?"

That made him smile. "Well, first, what do you think you've been doing? Like, what does it feel like to you? This… ability."

I think back to the hooded man at the supermarket and the girl at the mall. I began telling him about the suspicious hooded guy and the tingly sensation in my stomach that grew stronger. And the pulling that somehow brought him back. Finally, I admitted, "I have no idea what I've been doing."

"Hmm… were you thinking of anything when you felt the pulling?" He leaned forward in his chair.

"Yeah, I was thinking about how I wish I could get the money back." I paused for a moment. "But it's not something I can control."

"Have you tried? Ya know, controlling it?"

"At the liquor store."

"But it didn't work."

"Right." I watched my hands in my lap.

Cisco scribbled some notes on a piece of paper. "What about at the mall? What happened there?"

I told him about my ridiculous yearning for the necklace and earrings, which sounded really trivial after I said it.

"And that's when the girl said it was on her." He jotted down more notes. "You know about the Particle Accelerator, right?"

I shrugged, "Who doesn't?"

"Right. Well, what were you doing that night… when it exploded?"

I had to think about that. "I was reading poetry. I was reading a poem that always makes me cry. It always makes me feel amazed that someone I never met wrote these words that can still make me feel." Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese" came to mind just then, although not written long ago, it still was a touching poem.

A corner of Cisco's mouth curved up like he considered this statement cute. "So, my theory is-"

"It is a farfetched theory," a woman in a white lab coat interrupted Cisco. "being that we've never seen it before, but he could be right this time."

He scoffed. "This time?" Leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, he continued, "I'm always right, eventually."

The woman shook her head at him. "I'm Caitlin, and you are?"

"The Jewel Jackal!" Cisco spoke like he was pitching a new idea.

"He's already given you a nickname?" Caitlin asked.

"Self named. But you can call me Lena."

"So, Lena, it appears as though your hypothalamus is very active, abnormally so." Caitlin explained. "Your hypothalamus controls your limbic system, your nervous system, which controls emotion."

"So," Cisco butted in, "My theory is that you might have pathokinetic powers."

"Pathokinetic powers?" I asked.

"Like in X-Men." Cisco tried to explain. "Syn Anders… Pheobe Halliwell." He looked at me expectantly.

"I haven't seen the X-Men." I winced.

"Or," Caitlin added. "Coincidence can also be to blame."

Cisco continued, "which, as we've learned," he stole a meaningful look at Caitlin, "can be a very powerful thing."

They break away from the look and both fell into deep thought for a moment before Cisco seemed to perk up again.

"But what about her hypothalamus?"

"Extreme fear can cause the hypothalamus to light up like that, too. I'd have to conduct another EEG on her to find out."

"Well then do it!" Cisco is practically jumping out of his skin.

Caitlin nodded, "Come on back, Lena."


	3. Chapter 3

Caitlin takes me back to the lab, a room with a hospital bed and more technology I don't have a name for. I always hated hospitals and doctors' offices and this felt no different. Panic pulsed through me just as it always does when a stethoscope is near. "Alright," Caitlin interrupts my anxiety attack. "Try to relax." While she applies pads on specific portions on my head, she attempts to make small talk. "So, you and Cisco seem to be getting along well."

"Oh, yeah. He seems nice." I try to sound casual, but deep down I think I might have already developed a slight crush.

She smiles knowingly, "Well, let's see what's going on." She turns on a machine that hums as it gets going. "Remember to stay calm, Lena."

I take steady deep breaths in and out, attempting to put some relaxation techniques to the test. My eye catches the jagged lines on the EEG charting my brain activity. I had to stop watching because it made me nervous. I hear Caitlin say "Hmm" to herself as she focuses on the reading. I'm dying to know what perplexes her, but I kept quiet. After what seemed like hours, which was probably only 15 minutes, she turned off the machine and removed the pads from my head. Cisco apparently was watching because just as she removed the last pad, he waltzed in the room with his hands restricted in his pockets. "So?" He urged. "What's the verdict?"

"I still see some unusual activity in her hypothalamus. It's been disputed that humans only use about 10% of our brains, but many say it's a myth. Though the percentage is unknown, most neuroscientists agree it is definitely less than 100%. Lena is somehow able to tap into more than 80% of her hypothalamus' capabilities." Caitlin furrows her brow.

Cisco mimics her concern. "What is it?"

"How does that affect the rest of her brain?" She walks over to the reading on the EEG. "I've never heard of this before. I'm not sure what it means. What are its lasting effects? Someone with too much stimulation in one area could cause a person to go insane. Do you know how much emotion she can feel? Sense? It can make a person very reactive."

Cisco seemed deep in thought.

Caitlin continued, "Also, the most unusual aspect of her condition is how she can transfer her emotions to others?" She paused thinking. "Based on what we've heard from Bar-, The Flash, the saleswoman at the mall said she felt a strong desire to give Lena the jewelry she was looking at so much so that she let her take it. But after Lena left, the saleswoman realized what she had done and called security to go after Lena."

"So she makes people feel what she's feeling, which makes them do things that they don't realize they are doing until after she leaves. It's like… an emotion override." Cisco contemplated this.

"Guys, I'm right here," I interrupt.

Caitlin regarded me carefully. "Lena, Cisco and I need to—"

"Discuss the molecular connection between your brain activity and how it initiates a reaction in others," Cisco managed. Caitlin gave him a sidelong look. "You can go in the other room and watch the movie I have on near my computer. It's _Back to the Future_." He adds.

Why am I not surprised a mechanical engineer genius would keep a movie about a souped-up DeLorean time machine and a kooky scientist nearby? "Alright." I resolve. Cisco smiles reassuringly at me, before I leave the lab.

I put the DVD in the computer trying to not think about Caitlin saying I could go insane.

As "The Power of Love" plays, I see Cisco and Caitlin talking in the lab. Caitlin is pointing to the EEG and referencing to something on the monitor that's facing away from me. I can't see what is on it, but it makes Cisco twist his mouth in thought. He shakes his head as Caitlin continues to talk as though chastising him. Cisco looks in my direction, his eyes look sad; he snaps away from me when he catches my stare. I quickly bring my attention back to the movie. My mind reels around what they could be discussing. It's clearly about me. I don't like how the discussion is affecting Cisco. It can't be good.

I was watching them so intently that when an alert popped up on one of the monitors nearby, I jumped. It showed a black and green map of what appeared to be the city. There was a red dot flashing with a code popping up next to it. "Uh… Guys!" I shouted out to them. They didn't seem to hear. So, I jogged over to the room and yelled, "Guys! There's some kind of alarm going off on one of the monitors. A red dot flashing—"

"I'll call … The Flash." Caitlin didn't hesitate. She immediately made the call.

Cisco darted for the monitor. "On 2nd and 40th street. Armed robbery in action."

Caitlin nodded as she spoke on the phone. She joined us once she hung up.

I paused the movie. "So, this is how it all goes down?"

Cisco spoke first, "Can you hear me, Flash?" He regarded me. "If you keep in a straight line, you should make it in 2.3 minutes."

"Cool." I was surprised how in awe I sounded. I always wondered how this worked.

In about ten minutes, The Flash zipped in the Flash Fortress exhausted. Caitlin placed a hand on his back, "Come on, let me check you out." She walked him back as he limped favoring his right leg.

That left Cisco and I alone. My mind spun as I contemplated the discussion he and Caitlin had in the lab, the fact that I'm here, and that I am pathokenetic, which might lead to me going insane. There was an uneasy silence that made my stomach tingle. Uh, oh. The tingle felt like when your foot falls asleep. I could feel it stretch out like invisible static filled tendrils. A quote from _Casper_ came to mind when he described what he's made out of: "You know that feeling when your foot falls asleep; I think I'm made of that." That is exactly how I felt when this happens, like an ectoplasmic mass. "It's happening." I said to myself.

Cisco slid his chair closer to mine and took my hand in his. His thumb brushed the top of my hand soothingly. I let the moment sink in, enjoying that brief feeling of comfort that I so needed right now. I indulged in the compassion in Cisco's eyes until I resolved I needed to break the moment since I had a bad feeling Cisco's gesture was of my volition, not of his. I closed my eyes and ripped my hand away.

"Caitlin!" I yelled. She showed herself in the doorway from the lab. "What?" She sounded concerned.

"I did it again."

"The pathokinesis?" She asked.

"To Cisco." I couldn't look at him.

The Flash peeked his head out of the room and my eyes opened in surprise.

Cisco and I both screamed at an unusual high pitch, "Your face, Barry!" Cisco yelped. And then, he giggled.

I wasn't sure what shocked me more Cisco and I's synchronized girlish squeal, probably still connected to my emotions, or the fact that I actually saw the face of The Flash. His features hidden from the mask revealed a delicate nose placed with his blue eyes that I already noticed made for a very pleasant combination.

Caitlin snapped me out of my appreciation. "Barry…Your mask."

"Oops." The face usually hidden appeared nonchalant in comparison to the others.

"Yeah, 'Oops,'" Caitlin chastised.

He stepped into the room without a hint of a limp. Interesting. I guess his super speed translates to speedy healing, too. "Well, I guess the secret's out now. We can trust you, right?" He stuck his hand out to me. "I'm Barry."

I shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you…"

"Barry," He finished for me.

"Right, Barry." I looked at him sideways. So weird.

The tingle in my stomach finally disappeared. Cisco shook his head like a dog shakes water from its fur. "Did I just scream like a fan girl at Comic Con?"

Caitlin pursed her lips concealing laughter and nodded her head, while Barry blurted, "Yep, and giggled like a school girl."

I looked down wishing that never had happened. Cisco eyed me, "Wait… did I just get mind zapped?"

Chewing on my bottom lip, I nodded. "Sorry."

"Sweet." Cisco seemed to be taking it way better than I had imagined.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"Naw, emotion override is definitely a trip." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Caitlin looked pensive. "Cisco, do you think you could manufacture some type of device that she could wear that would monitor her brain activity and her blood pressure at all times. I'd like to catch her brain and emotions in the act of its—"

"Pathokenesis," Cisco shouted like a kid pointing at a new Lego set. "I think I have something that could work."

"Of course you do." Caitlin beamed. Then, she turned back to me. "What were you thinking this time when it happened?"

I paused for a moment. "Uh… I was thinking about the nostalgia of watching _Back to the Future_." I lied. "And, of course, the shock of seeing the face behind The Flash."

"And, what did Cisco do?"

"Well, you saw what Cisco did," I answered, referencing to his squeal.

"That was pretty funny." Barry laughs thinking about it.

Cisco shoots him a look that screams _shut-up_.

Barry closed his mouth, stifling his chuckle.

"Cisco, why don't you get to work on that portable EEG? And I'll research if anyone has confessed experiencing something similar to Lena." With that, Caitlin slipped back into the lab.

Barry appeared in the room dressed in casual wear. "Is anyone hungry? I'm starving. Who wants Mexican?"

I meekly raised my hand. I was starving! Looking at the time on the computer, it was 9 pm. No wonder I'm famished.

"Beef burrito and large Pepsi for me," Cisco shouted.

"I'll have a beef taco and chips & salsa," I said.

Caitlin pokes her head out of the lab. "Chicken Fajitas for me."

"Alright, so that's a beef burrito and large Pepsi for Cisco, beef taco and chips & salsa for Lena, chicken fajitas for Caitlin, and—

"with a side of guacamole!" Caitlin added.

"With a side of guac for Caitlin, and 52 tacos for me." He smiled and was gone in, well, a flash. It still feels weird that I know who he is.

"You'll get used to it." Cisco nudged my shoulder. He must have noticed my strange look.

"Did he say 52 tacos?" That sounds like a lot to me.

"You burn a lot of calories when you move at the speed of light," Cisco quipped. That made me laugh. "But seriously, he's created his own sonic boom." He boasted like a proud father.

"Wow, that's fast!"

"Right?" Cisco leaned over to see the monitor in front of me, referencing to the movie. "What? You didn't watch it on the big screen?"

"There's a big screen?" Of course there's a big screen.

"Watch this!" Cisco rolled me to the center of the room and walked over to a switch on the wall. Sure enough a big screen slid down from the ceiling.

"Nice," I noted.

He glanced over at me, "Now, this is how you watch Doc Brown's DeLorean hit 88," and sunk back in his chair.

There were a few moments of silence. I wanted to talk to him, but now didn't seem like the right time. Apparently, he seemed to think it was.

"Yeah know?" He felt much closer to me now. "Barry can time travel."

There's no end to how much he'll brag about that guy. Really, I can't blame him. His friend is a superhero after all. "No way!" I said. That is pretty freaking awesome. "I have so many questions."

Cisco's demeanor changed. "But, Lena," his eyes turned dark, "time travel is no joke. Trust me. You _do not_ want to mess with it."

It seemed like I had touched some kind of nerve, so I consider a change of subject. "So—"

"Why did you lie?" Cisco stopped me. Thank god, I had no idea what I was going to say.

"Lie? What do you mean?" I asked.

His head fell to the side. "Come on, Lena. I remember what I did when you mind zapped me. It was pretty innocent."

"Oh." I became very focused on the screen "watching" the movie. "I don't know. I didn't want… I guess I was… I—"

"What were you _really_ thinking?" His eyes felt like they were reaching inside _my mind_ this time. Speaking calmly, he added, "I get the feeling you avoided telling them about what I did to protect an emotion you didn't want to share." He offered a crooked grin, "I don't judge."

Before I could say anything, Caitlin walked in staring at an iPad. "Okay, so it appears there have been studies dating back to the 19th century on people who _claimed_ they could read minds, which isn't exactly what we're dealing with, but it's close." When Caitlin finally looked at us, she seemed to notice something weird was going on. "Okay… Should I…?" She pointed back to the lab. "Hey!" She looked at Cisco. "Aren't you supposed to be building us something?"

Cisco jerked up. "Oh, right. Just doing some calculations before I get started." He glanced at me and frowned.

My hair swooshed up and Barry appeared, finishing off a taco in one hand and holding a bag full of our food orders in the other. He divvied out our food, but when he got to Cisco, he was reminded that he forgot his Pepsi. He said he'd go back, but Cisco told him it was fine.

Caitlin cleared her throat, "Lena, would you mind coming here?" She gestured into the lab. Cisco cooed, "Oooo…Girl talk!"

Caitlin and I both shook our heads. "I don't mind," I said, as I rose to meet Caitlin. I turned back to find Barry joining Cisco, who was actually working. I walked back with Caitlin slightly worried why I was being brought back to the lab. Hopefully, it _was_ just for 'girl talk.'


	4. Chapter 4

Once I entered the lab, Caitlin gestured for me to sit down. She started preparing her fajitas, so I unwrapped my taco. "I know the lab is not the most comfortable place in the world," Caitlin started, "but it beats the pipeline."

"The pipeline?" I asked.

"That was where we had you contained." She paused and took a bite of her fajita. Once she swallowed, she began again, "Anyway, we'll have you stay here tonight. I hope you don't have any commitments."

I finished chewing a bite of my taco, shaking my head.

"What is it you do?" She asked. "I realized we haven't really had a chance to get to know you."

"I teach college composition, but I didn't get an assignment for summer."

"Have you been doing that long?"

"Only a year."

I hadn't been sure about Caitlin, but I think I'm warming up to her now. We both went back to our food. For a while, there was nothing but chewing. I started working on my chips now.

Caitlin broke the silence. "Once Cisco finishes the equipment, I can start accessing your vitals in correlation with your ability. That might help us understand how you can control it so that you don't continue taking over people's emotions."

"That'd be great. You know, I really appreciate everything you guys have been doing for me. I'm still not even sure how I got on The Flash's radar, anyway."

"Oh. Well," Caitlin fumbled for her next words, "you stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. That kind of warrants our attention. Also, the circumstances were unusual. Metahuman unusual."

"Metahuman? Is that what you call them?" I thought about that for a moment. "I mean…us? I corrected.

"Yeah, it's just a term. Barry is a metahuman, too. They can do a lot of good just as much as they can cause harm."

I envisioned myself as a vigilante in leather, fighting in alleyways at night. Pretty badass. I would love to feel that adrenaline and the strength that would require. Professor by day, crime fighter by night. Pretty cool if you ask me. I watched that news headline play out in my mind when at the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a black figure moving towards me, but when I looked in its direction, the figure wasn't there.

"Lena?" I heard Caitlin say.

I rubbed my eyes and blinked. "Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about something."

"Anything you'd like to talk about?"

I thought for a moment. "You know how you said something about me, potentially, going insane?"

"That would be a worst case scenario."

"What would be the symptoms of that? Like, how would I know?" I felt my heart pounding in my chest. That figure could have been nothing or it could be… the insanity creeping in already.

Caitlin considered this. "Well, theoretically, you could suffer from extreme emotional fluctuations. You could also begin hallucinating or have violent fits of anger. This is all just conjecture though. Let us run more tests before we go there."

There it was, hallucinations. Could the figure have been my first hallucination? Don't jump to conclusions just yet, I told myself. "How long would that take to set in?"

"Your capabilities as well as your future are all unknown variables at this time. I'm sorry I don't know more." She studied me. "Why do you ask?"

I looked away. "Just curious."

"I would say you have nothing to worry about right now. Just try and relax." She collected her trash from dinner and mine as well. "I actually should get home to my husband. Will you be fine here with Cisco? He'll probably be working on that for a while."

I was already watching him focused on his work. "Yeah," I nodded, "I'll be fine."

Caitlin went over to the computer and shut it down. Barry popped into the lab. "How's everything going in here?"

"Everything is going well." Caitlin regarded me. "Lena will be staying here tonight." She grabbed her purse and jacket. "And I'll be going home to Ronnie," she glowed.

Barry smiled. "Alright, sounds good. I think I'll be off in a little bit, too." He watched as Caitlin walked away. Once Caitlin was out of sight, he asked, "So, how are you _really_ doing?" His eyes were full of warmth and concern.

I tucked a leg under me. "I'm fine, really. Just…" I contemplated on the word, "adjusting."

He nodded. "Trust me. I know what you're going through. At least, I have a good understanding of what you're going through. It can be really scary, but it can also be really empowering once you know how to use your power."

"Yeah, I think I'll feel more at ease once I know more."

Barry put his hand on my shoulder, his thumb circling against my skin. "If you ever need to talk, know that I'm here for you. Okay? We're here to help you. I promise."

"Thanks. I really appreciate that."

He nodded and smiled his trademark grin, leaving me sitting on the hospital bed. I sighed and started to feel very much alone. I watched Barry say goodbye to Cisco, who quickly went back to his work. I decided to lie down and maybe try taking a nap. After all, it has been quite a day.

As my body slowly fought through the fog of sleep, I thought I heard a voice say my name. Just as I thought I was waking, a black figure reaches just barely within my periphery. My mind perked up at this. The black figure again. It's back. It's moving closer. I felt like I couldn't move. The voice was calling my name again. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I pressed against the pressure on my chest making it difficult to breathe. Panic swelled inside me. I wanted to scream, to move, but nothing happened. Oh god, is this it? The madness? I could hear my heart pounding in my ear.

"Lena?" The voice was louder now. I felt a hand touch my shoulder and gently shake it. "Lena!" The voice was even louder. It was a familiar voice. My eyes fluttered open as my body was released from that consuming hold sleep had on me. The black figure was gone. It was a dream; at least, I think it was a dream. I was breathing heavily. Cisco was looking down at me. "It was just a dream," he whispered.

I felt thirsty, I realized, as I finally started to wake up more. "You're okay," he soothed.

Sitting up, I assessed my surroundings. I had to remind myself that I wasn't home. Naps always discombobulated me. "Could I have some water?" I finally said.

"Sure, sure. Be right back." Cisco left the lab. I watched him leave and brushed my fingers through my hair. I had no idea what I looked like at this point, but I can imagine I'm not at my best. As I attempted to adjust myself and look more presentable, I considered what just happened. That did remind me of dreams I've had before. I looked it up once. They're called waking dreams. The ones where you feel like you're awake, but you're not. You can't move or scream and something terrifying is happening. Maybe that was it. I can't ignore that the same figure I saw when I was with Caitlin was the same figure in this waking dream. It could still have been a waking dream, I told myself. Cisco came back with two cups of water.

He sat down on a chair beside the bed and handed me my cup. I took a few long sips. Cisco observed me. "Bad dream?" he asked.

"You could say that." I finished off the cup of water he gave me. "Thanks," I said referencing to the water.

"No prob. So how are you doing? I see you took a nap."

"Uh, yeah." I sort of felt embarrassed he saw me sleep. "I'm alright. I feel better now that I got some rest."

"I finished the brain wave analyzer." He eyed me. "Wanna see it?"

"Of course I do." I matched his enthusiasm as best I could, still feeling groggy. "Brain wave analyzer?" I smiled at him. "I approve," mimicking his earlier approval of my nickname, "and so would Doc Brown, I'd imagine."

"I have an awesome muse." He winked at me.

He practically skipped out of the lab. I followed behind. When we made it to his desk, he lifted the brain wave analyzer, "It's not pretty, but it'll work." It looked like a crown of metal. "See here," he pointed to a place on the halo-like device, "this is where it'll hit near your hypothalamus. From here, it'll send a reading to the computers via Wi-Fi. Pretty cool, right?" He watched me expectantly. "Oh! And an added a feature," he directed my attention to another portion on the opposite side of the crown, "this hits your temples. It will read your skin temperature. Skin temps will rise and fall depending on your mood as well. For instance, a person in love tends to run hotter when near the one they love." He shrugs. "Anyway, it should work."

"That is pretty impressive."

"And," he handed me a smaller circular device that looked much like a bracelet, "This will measure your blood pressure sending the stats to the computer in the same way."

"Wow, so I have to wear these things all the time?" They didn't look comfortable.

"Only until your first episode or two."

"I guess that's alright." I paused. "It's for science, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

I sighed. "Hey," Cisco touched my shoulder, "we'll figure this out."

I smiled in consolation. "I know. I'm just impatient."

Cisco considered for a moment before speaking. "How about you and I get out of here?"

"Can we do that?" I shot him a speculative look.

He shrugged. "I mean, there's that little problem of you overriding a bartender's mind and scoring us free drinks, but I wouldn't complain." He showed me a sly smirk.

I laughed.

"I won't tell if you don't." He winked.

I shook my head. "Alright, you rebel. Let's get outa here."

He gestured a chivalrous 'after you' bow and we were off.


	5. Chapter 5

The bar was much like any other I've been to. There were brick walls and dim lighting, smoke sneaking in through the bouncer guarded doors, and me feeling very out of my element. I don't really go to bars very often. The last time was probably a year and a half ago. I always end up drinking too much and regretting it later, so I tend to stay away, but this was an exceptionally unusual day.

Cisco seemed so at ease by my side. I hoped his casual attitude would rub off on me. We both squeezed in through the crowd huddled around the bar. Cisco ordered a beer. He looked at me for my order. My mind tumbled through drink orders I've enjoyed in the past. "Uh, Malibu and pineapple juice," I shouted over the music to the bartender.

While waiting for our drinks, Cisco nudged me, "Feeling any," he pressed two fingers against his temple, "yeah know, _feelings_?"

I assessed my body for any strange sensations but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I shook my head. "Not yet," I admitted, somewhat relieved.

The bartender slid our drinks with our receipts. Cisco handed his card to the bartender before I could protest. "Keep it open," he told him. He lifted his glass to mine, "Here's to the hopes of mind-zaps and free drinks." I smiled shaking my head but clinked his glass for prosperity anyway.

Well, this is going to be a night, I thought.

We walked away from the bar into the ebb and flow of bodies grinding into each other to some Drake song. There was a 'U' shaped booth off in a corner fairly secluded that we slid into, sitting next to each other. "Malibu and pineapple, huh?" Cisco teased as we settled in.

I shot him a look. "Hey! I'm not a beer girl."

His eyes swept up and down my seated figure, "No, you most certainly are not."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" My eyes squinted in mock anger.

He smiled but said nothing else. I sipped my drink, watching the scene playing in front of us. There were a great deal of people dancing in the small space between the bar and the booths lining the wall. Most of the people here appeared to be in their twenties, but there were the rare few who looked a bit too old to be here. One of the latter was a woman, I would guess to be in her late 50's, who was trying to buy a fairly attractive man with a tattoo on his bicep a drink. He seemed pleased with her advance, probably for the free drink. I imagine the cougar will be disappointed in the end, though.

"Cougars," Cisco said with a smirk. "Gotta love 'em."

I laughed. "Pretty hilarious." I paused. "Okay, so what do you think her story is?"

He speculated, "Divorcee looking to prove to her ex she too can get someone younger?"

I nodded in agreement. "Pretty good."

He pointed out a man and woman who just slid into a table across from us. "What about them?" I watched the pair. The girl kept checking her phone. "That's her Tinder date," I suggested, "He's not what he looked like in his pictures. Probably had a picture with a dog that she thought was cute." That earned a chuckle from Cisco.

We were both silent for a minute nursing our drinks. There was this electric tension between us that made this feel like a first date. Cisco brushed his hair back, "So," he twisted to face me, "what's the Lena True Hollywood story?" I looked at him sideways. He added, "Like, what was your life like before all this happened?" He smoldered his eyes. "Were you single? Was Tinder your thing?"

"Wow! Is this an interrogation or a night out?" I stopped his barrage of questions.

He shrugged. "I'd rather know you as Lena, the barista, than Lena, the meta girl who we captured."

I smiled at this. "Good point."

"I always think it's good practice to humanize the patients." He grinned at me.

I hit his shoulder. "Patient! Okay, Dr. Frankenstein."

"Thank god, you know it's not the monster's name."

"English major," I said as explanation.

A waitress passed by and asked if we needed anything. We told her we were fine for now.

I picked up where we left off. "Well, as I said, I was an English major. I'm actually an English professor now, though writing is my true passion."

"That explains you reading poetry," Cisco commented.

"Yeah, you remembered."

"Of course."

This brought some kind of satisfaction for me, like a new crush remembering your favorite movie you mentioned in passing.

"Oh," I added, "and Tinder's for hook-ups. Not for me. I'm single, for now."

"Well, now you could get anyone you want," Cisco spoke suggestively.

I rolled my eyes.

There was a brief break in conversation during which I noticed some people at the end of the bar taking shots. Cisco followed my gaze. "I like the way you think, Lena," he commented. When the waitress passed our table again, Cisco got her attention and ordered two Patron shots. I glanced at him, but he just shrugged, "When in Rome…" He took a moment to look around and amended, "or a dive bar…"

"So," I shifted the conversation to Cisco, "what about you? Any girls tripping over each other for your genius mind?"

He blushed. "I haven't been too lucky in that area." He seemed to not what to linger on that area of conversation. "What do you teach specifically?"

"Composition, but I'm sort of over the teaching scene." I contemplated. "I just kind of want more—"

Cisco interrupted, "More what?" He leaned his forearm against the table.

"More…" I thought for a moment. "More anything, really."

He nodded as if he understood. Though, I'm not sure how he could-I hardly understand. "I guess, I expected more out of my life than what I was given." I always have a hard time finding people I truly connect with, but interacting with Cisco felt easy. I'm not even sure why I told him that.

"Well," he paused when the waitress brought us our shots. "It appears you have been given something more now. We'll help you get the most out of it. You'll be the best pathokinetic out there!" This made me smile.

"I'll drink to that," I said.

"You know what would make these taste better?" Cisco smirked. "Body shots." He nodded in agreement with his idea.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself, buddy."

"A guy can try." He shrugged. "Ready?"

"Definitely," I said.

Cisco lifted his shot glass, "To life and its surprises!"

We both drank our shots.

The drink burned down my throat. I grabbed for the lime and sucked it.

"Two more," he called to the waitress when she passed by again.

"Thanks for taking me out of the lab, by the way. I really needed to get away from buzzing equipment and that hospital bed."

"No prob, Lena. I figured you needed a night out."

I smiled. _He had no idea._

"Hey, I was thinking… how did The Flash find out about me?" I hoped maybe Cisco would be more forthright than Caitlin was. "I mean…it's not like I was off on a killing spree or blowing up buildings. I don't fit the profile for a Flash invasion."

Cisco's face tensed a little. He played with his glass before he spoke. "We're always on the look out for more metahumans. They don't always have to make a splash… or a boom to get noticed."

"I guess." I considered if this was truthful. It was a rational thought, however. If there were metahumans wandering around often wreaking havoc in the city, it would probably behoove The Flash to take notice.

When I peered back at Cisco, he was swaying moving to the beat of the song playing in the booth, "Oh, you have got to get up and dance with me. This is my jam." He stood and stuck out his hand. I listened to the song; it was "Uptown Funk." I decided 'what the hell?' and grabbed his hand.

He pulled me up and we ran into the middle of alcohol-induced gyrating bodies. At first he danced like Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, swiveling his hips and swirling his fisted hands. We were both laughing as I did the sprinkler and the running man. Both of us shouted the lyrics to the chorus, jumping and throwing our hands up as we did. Cisco broke it down, popping and locking. I was so enraptured with his moves that I didn't notice there was a circle forming around us. I don't think he noticed at all. Then, he dropped and did a windmill on the ground, breakdancing like a pro.

I would have never guessed that a mechanical engineer who seemed to spend too much time in an underground lab without windows would be able to move like he does. I was in awe and so was everyone else in the bar. The place didn't have much in the way of a dance floor, but Cisco made good use of what he had. He got to his feet and spun around to face me. I applauded his performance as the circle of people showed their appreciation too. As we stood still together, the group dispersed around us.

"You sure know how to make a scene," I commented.

"When I feel a groove, I just follow it through." I studied him, his relaxed posture, dark eyes and hair. He appeared so sweet and innocent. A mad scientist packaged as a geek at comic con. I wonder if he goes to anything like that or if he cosplays if he goes. Who would he cosplay as? I wondered if he'd wear Barry's suit. I smiled at that image. "What?" he asked.

"You are just so not what I expected."

"In a good way, I hope." I smiled at his need for reassurance.

I nodded. "In a good way."

When we arrived back to our booth, the waitress just brought our shots. "Perfect timing," I said aloud.

"To beautiful pathokinetics," he announced.

"To genius mechanical engineers," I added.

Our glasses clinked. Wait a minute. Did Cisco just call me… "Beautiful?" I asked out loud to him, but he just smirked and took his shot. I followed suit.

As I swallowed it down this time, it wasn't just the burn I felt trickle down my throat; I also felt the effects of the Patron trickling into my system. My head spun for a second, but I gained my balance quickly.

"Come on, Lena!" Cisco popped up.

"Are we leaving already?" I asked.

"The night is still young. Let's dance!" I was hardly getting my balance back. "Come on," he urged.

I slid out of the booth and he pulled me through the crowd. Once we reached a less populated area of the floor, I lamely step clapped feeling completely inadequate compared to the skills he displayed not too long ago. "Is that all you got?" he dared.

I shook my head in refusal to move beyond a snap and a hip sway, feeling very self-conscious now. Though I was a dancer years ago, I never felt comfortable dancing in this type of setting. I could whip out a pirouette like no one's business, but ask me to pop and lock or twerk, and I freeze. Mercifully, Miguel's "Coffee" came on. Thank goodness for slow jams. Cisco noticed my hesitation, "Come here." His hands gestured to come closer. Hesitant, I stepped towards him and held his hands. To my surprise, Cisco pulled out some basic ballroom dancing moves by pushing me in and out and spinning me around.

We felt like friends just having a good time, until he dipped me back, and slowly zipped me back up against his body. We were still dancing, but just barely—hand in hand, his other hand on the small of my back and my free hand on his shoulder, gently moving side to side. We weren't moving to the beat anymore, but it didn't seem to matter. "Having a good time, Lena?" he spoke into my ear as we moved in sync.

"Beats the pipeline," I called back into his ear, repeating what Caitlin said earlier tonight. He laughed, "Ah, you know about our metahuman prison." I didn't know it was a prison at all nonetheless one for metahumans… for people like me. Were there metahumans still trapped within the pipeline? I decided to not think about that. "Nice moves, by the way."

"Oh that," he shrugged, "self-taught. Hours of practice as a kid in front of my bedroom mirror." I imagined Cisco busting moves as a little guy. It made me laugh. "I actually danced my whole life. Just stopped years ago for school," I confessed

"Seems we have a few things in common." He smiled at me so sweetly that something inside tugged at me to kiss him. A warm tingle vibrated inside me like static; it was strong and compelling. Cisco started to lean in; I started to close my eyes. _No, no, no! The tingle, the mind-zap. Not now!_ I chastised myself.

"Cisco?" I said, as our lips were just about to touch. He made no sign of stopping his progress towards me. I turned my head and took a few steps away. He looked genuinely disappointed. I turned completely away from him and paced as far away from him as I could get to hopefully break my pathokinetic connection. Pushing through the dancers, I was determined to keep my distance; I didn't want a first kiss to not be real. Just as it seemed I made some real progress, I felt a hand on my shoulder that turned me around, and Cisco kissed me.


	6. Chapter 6

I wasn't sure how I expected Cisco to kiss, but I would have never imagined him to be this good at it. My mind reeled, but I couldn't form any coherent thought as he held my face in his hands. I was about to grip a handful of his hair, when he abruptly pushed me away against my shoulders. "Wait…," he looked startled. "I hope you wanted me to kiss you or else I am really sor—"

Before he could finish, I pulled him into a kiss again. When we finally stopped for breath, his eyes were wide, "Wow," he managed. I giggled at his reaction.

Grabbing his hand, I leaned into his ear, "Come on Romeo, we have an open tab to attend to."

We made our way to the bar to order another round of drinks. Once we made it through the crowd, my world spun, again. The abundance of alcohol I consumed was hitting me hard now.

Cisco noticed me grab the bar to recover my loss of equilibrium. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I just need to use the restroom. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah. Go straight back and turn left down the hall." He guided me out of the crowd. "I'll walk with you."

"No, really. I'm good. Stay and order us more drinks." I paused and looked at him sternly. " _Not_ shots."

"One Maui in a cup coming up!" he shouted back to me. I guess that's one name to call my pineapple juice and Malibu rum drink.

I did have to go to the restroom, that wasn't a lie. However, I could use some water splashed on my face or at the very least have a moment to compose myself. I followed the path Cisco directed and found it a struggle to walk in a straight line. Thankfully, the restrooms weren't too far from where I left Cisco, so locating the logo of a woman in a dress, or as I liked to look at it, a woman in a cape, wasn't too hard to find. After I accomplished what I came there to do, I assessed my visage in the mirror afraid I might find a train wreck. My freckled cheeks appeared blushed, no surprise with the alcohol. My mascara held surprisingly well, which I was thankful for, but my eyeliner was rocker chic smeared around my brown eyes. I corrected the smudges as best I could with my finger and fluffed my shoulder-length auburn hair in attempts to give it a messy volume. Satisfied with my appearance and feeling a bit off-balance, I followed the path back to Cisco. As I am walking, a tingle crept up my spine, similar to the sensation of my pathokinesis; it twined around the side of my stomach and began to burn as if sensing someone watching me. At the corner of my eye, I found the black figure, my shadow now, I thought.

I decided I would try to catch up to it and find out what or who it is. It's shape twitched the more I fixed my focus on it. The black shadowy figure seemed to shimmer and wave in and out of the fabric of space. As it would disappear and reappear it was farther down the hallway. I followed it, but as I did the hallway seemed to become narrower and stretched in length, as though transforming into a tunnel in which there was no light. My heart began to race in my buzzed haze. I touched the walls for some form of an anchor to reality as I hoped this illusion was not. My strides felt heavy, much more of a climb than a walk. It was beside me then, accompanying me along on this terrifying journey. The black shadowy figure made me feel as though it were taunting me, begging me to follow it now. To where, I didn't know. It lurched forward causing its composition to glitch like a pixelated hologram. My breath caught and I feared I was following it straight into hell. I urged my body to turn around back where I came from to rid myself of this being, but it sped towards me. We were face to… well, I wouldn't call what it had a face, it blurred and contorted making my knees buckle. I felt sick as I was on my hands and knees staring at the floor.

In the distance, I could hear shouting and music. I attempted to focus on the shouting- _that_ was my anchor. It became more audible. "Lena!" I heard the shout now clearly. "Lena!" It was Cisco. I braced myself back up on my feet and stumbled forward following the light that Cisco created. The light tore a slit in the tunnel and I could see him, his palms were up as I made my way out of the hallway that appeared normal now. I gripped his hands so tight for stability and comfort. He pulled me against his chest, cradling the back of my head as I nestled into his shoulder. Cisco's hand consoling my back helped ease the stress from whatever that was I experienced. "What happened?" he asked.

So many thoughts fluttered through my mind. Did Cisco see what I saw? Probably not, since he asked what happened. Should I tell him? No, I don't want him to know I'm going crazy. But the question remains: What happened? I still don't know.

Once I had calmed my nerves enough to speak, I lifted my head off his shoulder to look at him. "I don't know, maybe it was a panic attack," I lied. "I've gotten those before. It means I need more to drink," I said slyly. I definitely need ad rink after what I just went through.

Cisco studied me far more closely than I would have liked. "It's a good thing I got you your Malibu Barbie drink, then." He smiled and held my hand. "Come on."

My "Malibu Barbie" drink was waiting there for me, as was his beer for him. We nursed our beverages in silence for a moment. This silence gave me time to allow what just happened to sink in and analyze what exactly that was and what it means to my sanity. All of my assessments equaled a negative prognosis.

Before I knew it, I was almost done with my drink. How long was I zoned out? When I turned to Cisco, he was watching me. "Welcome back," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"You left for a moment there. Something on your mind?" He rested his hand atop mine.

I was definitely more than buzzed now. I bit my lip and noted it was practically numb. My mind felt jumbled and words made less sense. "Something weird happened," I blurted.

"Another one of these," I told a bartender while tapping my glass. Cisco shook his head at the bartender and said "Water." He then leaned closer to me.

"What do you mean 'something weird happened'?" His eyebrows furrowed.

Searching for a distraction, my eyes zoomed in on his t-shirt, which sparked me to start singing the song of a level in Mario Brothers. When Cisco looked confused, I said, "Your shirt."

He smiled. "Right. But Lena, you said 'something weird happened'. What happened that was weird? You mean when you were walking back from the restroom?"

I was laughing. Oh god, I'm far-gone. The bartender placed a water in front of me. I grabbed it and took a big gulp. "Hallway stretched, black shadow." I sniggered. "I'm going crazy."

I waved the bartender for another drink but Cisco alerted the bartender he was ready to close his tab. A subtle tingle began creeping gently in my core. I was hysterical laughing at this point. "You don't have to pay." I put my fingers to my temple, mimicking his gesture earlier in the evening.

The bartender brought back Cisco's card without a receipt in a confused daze. Realization washed over Cisco's face, so he called out, "Excuse me," attempting to get the bartender's attention. He tried again and finally the bartender turned around. "I believe you forgot our tab," Cisco urged. The bartender appeared confused at first, but his face altered into surprise as he realized what he had done. Still a bit unsure of himself, the bartender left, arriving with our receipt. Cisco quickly filled it out and then grabbed my hand guiding me outside. "I know I joked about free drinks, but I just can't go through with that. Catholic guilt is such a killjoy," he said. "Also, it would be pain explaining this to the cops whenever he came to."

I leaned on him as we strolled on the sidewalk outside. "I should have known you were a lightweight, Chiquita." His eyes looked at me with concern.

"You're a lightweight," I said lamely.

He called for a cab while I rested more of my weight on him. Brushing a strand of hair away from my eyes with his warm finger, he laughed at me as I was drowsily singing the Taylor Swift song that was playing in the bar when we left. A cab pulled up by the curb; Cisco told the driver an address and we were off. I rested my head on Cisco's shoulder. His arm draped around me as he brought me closer to him.

When we arrived at our destination, it didn't look familiar. "Where are we?" I asked.

"My place," he answered.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, this wasn't what I expected.

When I woke up this morning, I put on a tank top and jeans expecting a warm day. I would have never guessed that I would be here- drunk with a guy I just met, standing in front of his house. Who am I? What a difference 12 hours makes.

Cisco guided me up the stairs that led to an olive green door with an antique doorknob. We walked into the lobby of his apartment building and entered an elevator. He pushed the number 4 and we went up. The doors opened to an empty hallway with carpet on the floor that reminded me of a medical building. I stumbled, still wobbly on my feet. Cisco pulled me closer to him. He smells like apple juice, I thought.

When we stopped at door 405, Cisco began fidgeting through his set of keys. Finally locating the one he needed, he looked around before unlocking the door and ushering me in.

"So, this is… Cisco's lair," I said in my best attempt at a mysterious voice. Seriously, who am I?

I brushed my hand along the edge of his rustic leather couch, which I slouched into once I reached the front of it. Cisco was in the kitchen filling a glass of water. He brought it over to me.

"Is it what you expected?" he asked.

"Well," I started. "I didn't really expect to ever see it, so…"

He sat down next to me. "Good, no expectations are my favorite kind."

After taking a couple sips of water, I placed the cup down on the coffee table and got up to get a better look at Cisco's place. He had various posters framed on the wall. I had to squint to steady my vision but I was able to make out that a couple were of Iron Man. Of course Iron Man would be included on the wall of this technologically inclined individual.

"You can stay here tonight," Cisco spoke as he was watching me look around. "My place is closer than S.T.A.R. Labs from the bar. So, I figured it'd be better and a little more comfortable for your drunk ass." He smirked.

"Bit of an Iron Man fan, eh?" I asked eyeing the posters on the wall with subsequent shelves full of Iron Man paraphernalia.

He smirked. "You noticed, huh?"

"Kind of hard to miss," I noted.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything, yet." He gestured into his bedroom. "Come here."

I followed after him. His bed was undone, but I could still see his green plaid bedspread half on his mattress. There was a picture frame on his dresser of him and someone who looked like his brother in suit and tie in front of a piano. A copy of Ernest Cline's _Ready Player One_ lay on his nightstand. I've been meaning to read that one.

"Check this out." Cisco was standing near the corner of his room next to a stand that held—

"Is that a replica of an Iron Man suit arm?"

"Oh… yeah…" He looked impressed with himself.

I stepped closer to get a better look. It was exactly like the Iron Man suit… well an arm off his suit. I reached a hand out to touch it, but Cisco smacked it away.

"No one touches the suit."

"Of course, sorry." I stepped back, resisting the urge to tell him it wasn't the whole suit. "Does it work?"

This caused Cisco to burst into laughter. "Does it work?" he scoffed. He was shaking his head. "Lena, do I look like I have a superconductor full of plasma so impossibly small with enough B to be self-contained near my heart and at the same time able to keep shrapnel away from that important organ?" His eyes, wide and questioning, bored into me.

"Uh… no?" I stared at the arm, again.

He continued, "I mean I could probably get it to work with some funding and some time, but I mean… the man's a-"

"What's B?" I interrupted his rambling.

"Physics talk for magnetic field." He responded casually.

I was notably impressed, I'm sure. I've always been a sapiosexual. Intelligence is super sexy to me, and Cisco, well… he's a sapiosexual's wet dream. I felt my cheeks flush.

"Ya see, Lena, creating a magnet field with a superconductor is a lot like starting a fire." He stepped closer to me and held my hands rubbing them together quickly. "It takes a good bit of energy to get the fire started, but once it's burning the occasional tinder keeps it going."

Cisco stopped his demonstration and studied my eyes. I found myself staring back at him leaving my hands resting in his. If I understood his explanation, there's enough energy between us to keep us burning all night. I feared my palms were sweaty as my heart was pounding. He leaned closer into me and before I could say 1.21 gigawatts, he planted a gentle kiss on my lips. Our hands laced, as the kiss grew less gentle. But before anything could advance, he released our hands and stepped back.

"Uh… did you notice my other posters in the living room?" he asked awkwardly.

I eyed him suspiciously, but took the bait anyway. "No, the Iron Man love was too overwhelming." He escorted me towards the door of his bedroom. I continued walking even after I didn't feel his urging hand on my back. I started looking around at the walls and noticed he hadn't joined me yet. I could hear him muttering quietly to himself in his room. His abrupt break of our kiss was weird, but not the first time he's done it tonight. Maybe he is confused whether I'm controlling his actions or if they are his own. This pathokensesis is a real drag sometimes.

A few moments past before he joined me in the room. "I realized I hadn't made my bed. You must think I'm a slob."

"Who makes their beds?" I decided to play devil's advocate, knowing that was a terrible lie. "You're only going to unmake the bed later on, right? Why waste the energy?"

He laughed nervously. "Finally," he crossed his arms over his chest. "Someone who thinks like me."

I sat back down on the couch and sipped my water I had left on the coffee table earlier. Cisco settled in next to me. Feeling sleepy, I placed my glass back down and rested my head on his shoulder. He stroked my hair as I curled into him. Our close proximity, though only meeting today, felt normal—natural even. Maybe it was the liquid courage, but my pulse reacted to the edges of our bodies touching and I couldn't stop myself from feeling more of him. I traced my hand up his chest to close the spaces between us. Before I could stop my body, my hand was on his cheek and my face was a breath's distance from his.

He watched my lips draw closer to his. I smiled as I closed the space between my lips and his. I could feel his breath against my skin, but at the last second, he turned his head away. "You're drunk, Lena."

"I'm not drunk," I lied. My fingers trailed over his lips, tracing their outline. "You have beautiful lips." I puckered them. "I just want to kiss them again." Our lips were about to touch, again, until Cisco held me back. I could see the battle that was happening in his mind. He closed his eyes. "Lena, I think you should go to bed."

I smiled slyly, "Will you join me?" I was tugging at his hand, pouting. He shook his head as though brushing off the devil on his shoulder. "You should sleep." He lifted up my glass of water again. "Finish this while I find you something more comfortable to wear." I suppose jeans aren't the best option for sleeping. I did as he said, finishing the glass of water.

Cisco came back with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "They'll probably be a little big. You can change in the—"

I had already pulled my top off and was now working on the button of my jeans. I looked up in frustration because the button was being difficult. Cisco's face was agape. "Or here is good too," he stuttered. I was tugging at the waist on my jeans since I gave up on the button. "Can you help me?" I asked.

Cisco rubbed a hand over his face. "Uh, su-sure." Once he stopped in front of me, his eyes swept down my figure to the button. His fingers felt warm against my skin as he worked. It opened with ease _._ His hand kept going, unzipping my stubborn jeans, but his hand froze, quickly moving to cover his eyes. He turned around. Tossing me the sweatpants and shirt, he said, "I'll give you some privacy." He started walking away. "In fact, I'm just gonna… go over here." He bumped into the wall near the kitchen. "Ow!" he yelped. With that, he disappeared into the kitchen, fumbling through plates and pantries. "Hungry?" he shouted out to me.

"I could eat," I called back. Truth be told food sounds like a good idea. It might help me sober up a bit.

I picked up the forest green shirt he gave me. I squinted in an attempt to tame my buzzed vision to read the lettering on the shirt. It read "Entropy Happens" in white bold letters. I laughed in spite of myself at how accurately that fit my life description at the moment. Very funny, Cisco, I thought. I slipped on the shirt and the grey sweatpants and sat down waiting for Cisco to finish up with whatever he was doing in the kitchen. After a few moments of shuffling through shelves and cabinets, he peeked his head out of the kitchen with a hand still covering his eyes. "Done?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's safe now," I announced.

He presented what hid behind his back. "Oreos?"

"Am I human? Of course. Only robots would say no to Oreos."

He sat down next to me, opening the Oreos on the coffee table in front of us. He dug in and grabbed two of the black cookies with delicious frosting smushed in the middle. I followed suit. We both munched on our cookies in silence. I folded my legs on the couch indian style, getting comfortable. I grabbed a couple more cookies, consuming them eagerly. "Thanks for the clothes," I said.

"No prob. Are you feeling better now?" he studied me.

"A little less woozy. I think the water helped and the cookies aren't hurting." I was lying slightly. Remnants of the alcohol still coursed through my veins, but I'm starting to get a hold of my inhibitions. I suppose that is a good thing, although the events of the night are starting to flood my mind, which is making me woozy again. Thankfully, I am not one to throw up when I'm drunk.

"Actually, I probably should try to sleep now… Thanks for the Oreos." I paused waiting for my sleeping assignment.

"Of course." Cisco pointed to the open door behind us. "You can sleep in my room."

"Are you sure? I can sleep on the couch, no problem."

He shook his head. "No way, guests get the bed."

I smiled. "Thanks."

I traipsed over to his room and tucked myself in. After tossing and turning for about a half hour as the events of my day began to unfold, I still doubted that any of this even happened. For all I knew, I'd wake up tomorrow in my own bed realizing this was all a dream. Sleep slowly started to take hold, so I resolved I to file away all that has happened under "for another time," and drifted off into a drunken slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

The door burst open with a frantic Cisco in the doorway. I blinked my eyes into focus. _Wait…Cisco?_ I noted my surroundings. _That actually happened._ My mind flapped through moments of yesterday like a flipbook. I couldn't believe it was all real. Cisco threw my clothes at me. "Put those on," he shouted. I was still groggy and, god, did I have a headache! Hangovers are a bitch. "It wasn't a dream," I said more to myself than to him. He flung open his closet, shuffling through his clothes. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered. It was then, as he was hopping into a pair of jeans that I realized he was only in his boxers. I rubbed my eyes. "What's going on?"

"We're late." He sifted quickly through a long line of graphic tees and started putting one on. His closet seemed pretty typical until my eyes caught a glimpse of something not so usual.

"Is that a Nerf gun collection?" I asked, my voice still raspy from sleep. He had a variety of different sizes and shapes of Nerf guns mounted on the wall inside his closet like plaques.

"Yeah, it is. Pretty sweet, right?" He turned to me with a goofy grin, but shook it off immediately. "Seriously, Lena. Put on your clothes. We're going to be in so much trouble."

"Trouble?" I asked to no one, apparently, because Cisco already left his room. When I looked at the clock on his nightstand, it read 5:30 AM. 5:30 AM and we're late?! Eesh.

I put my clothes on and found my way to his bathroom to quickly wash up and put myself together, accepting that I would be sporting the no make-up look.

When I shuffled out of his room, Cisco shoved a coffee in my hand and assured me we'd get something to eat on our way. I nursed the coffee the whole taxi ride. Neither Cisco nor I said a word to each other. Was the magic gone from last night? Did I do something wrong? Did I come on too strong? I would never do that ordinarily. That wasn't me. He needed to know that.

"Cisco…," I started. "About last night—"

"Not now." Cisco opened the door of the cab as it had slowed to a stop. "Come on," he waved me out of the cab.

He grabbed my hand before we walked through the crowded New York sidewalk. On our race to S.T.A.R. Labs, we stopped off at a kiosk selling pastries. We ate our croissants while we walked the rest of the way. It was a long enough distance for us both to consume our croissants before we made it to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Cisco scanned his card on the door to get in and once we were inside, he looked around to see if anyone was here. Once satisfied we were the only ones, he slouched into his chair. "Woo!" he said as a celebratory sigh. "We really dodged a bullet there." Leaning back in his computer chair, he stretched his hands behind his head.

"I wasn't supposed to leave last night, was I?" I asked already knowing the answer.

Cisco shrugged in response. "Did you have a good time?"

"Of course."

"Then, that's all that matters," he conceded.

I decided to try again. "But Cisco, I gotta tell you… I mean… I feel really—"

"Did you both have a good night last night?" Cisco and I both jumped at Caitlin's voice. Where had she been hiding? Or had she just arrived?

"We weren't together!" Cisco blurted out pointing back and forth to him and I. "How was your night, Lena… here at S.T.A.R. Labs?" His voice sounded very professional.

"Uh…," I glanced between Cisco and Caitlin, who had a confused look on her face. Cisco cleared his throat.

"Good?" I finally responded.

"Okay…." Caitlin studied both of us as Cisco and I tried our best not to fidget. "How was your night then, Cisco?"

I heard the chime of his computer firing on as he was moving the mouse around and clicking on icons that weren't up yet. "Same old. Same old. Nothing to report… Oh! Started a new book. Slow start, but I hear it's good." He gave Caitlin a quick glance away from his computer.

Then, Caitlin turned her focus to me. "How are you doing today, Lena?" I suddenly felt like I was in the principal's office.

"Fine, so far at least. The day is still young, though." I swallowed, noticing that my mouth has gone dry.

"Right." She looked over to Cisco. "Did you finish the device?"

"Hells yeah, I did!" Cisco seemed to recover quickly. He brought out what he devised last night. "Check it out."

Caitlin looked at the device closely. "How does it work exactly?"

"Let's hook this baby up, and I'll show you." Cisco lifted up his device proudly.

"Go ahead." Caitlin said, but after a moment, she put her hand out stopping Cisco. "Wait. It is safe, right?"

He appeared offended. "I would never put her—" he paused. "Herrros in harm's way."

"Alright, then." She supervised as Cisco placed the crown like device on my head and the cuff around my arm. He then began setting it up on the computer

"Okay," he ceremoniously cracked his knuckles. "Let's fire this baby up!"

The monitor fluttered on with a steady scan of my brain. It meant nothing to me, but a zig zag line much like how a monitored heartbeat might appear. Caitlin and Cisco watched the steady line in anticipation. The screen was split horizontally and the bottom half was split in half. The top half of the screen showed a scan of my brain activity; the bottom left quadrant monitored my temperature; and the bottom right quadrant monitored my blood pressure. Nothing appeared amiss. We all watched the screen with bated breath, waiting for something, anything to happen. The lab was silent—I could almost hear my heartbeat.

That is until there was a crunch.

Caitlin and I looked for the source of the sound only to find Cisco's apologetic face as he chewed on a Doritos chip. I laughed, and Caitlin smiled shaking her head.

"Well," she said, "that was anticlimactic."

"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly.

"Doritos?" Cisco offered the bag out to us. We both declined.

"Maybe she needs to be in a certain emotional state to create the perfect environment for her… episodes to occur," Caitlin postulated.

Cisco plopped another Doritos in his mouth, nodding in agreement. He spoke before he swallowed. "She does seem to do it when she really wants something."

 _When I really want something._ I thought back to the episode in the market with the robber, the moment when the salesperson let me leave with the jewelry on, and, of course, that moment with Cisco in the lab yesterday when I used pathokensis on him accidentally. Was that what it really was? I _wanted_ him. Was he just insinuating that I wanted him? How embarrassing. I really did make a buffoon of myself last night. My cheeks flushed, an emotional reflex. Caitlin and Cisco were talking, but I could hardly hear them as my mind churned and my stomach flipped considering the weight of Cisco's comment.

So many times in life everyone wants things they can't have. I know most of the things I wanted I haven't been able to have. Sometimes they were simple things—actually they are almost always simple things. Most of all I have wanted control, control over my life, over my emotions, over my heart. Always an anxious person, I have wanted more than anything to be able to control my overwhelmed nervous system. Not to mention, my heart always choosing wrong when it comes to love. I would love the ability to turn off the yearning for a man I could never have. It always seemed like my two problems worked hand in hand. In order to feel calm, I needed the loving touch of a human being to feel it. I needed a man, and I hated that. But I couldn't deny the burst of oxytocin when in an embrace, or while holding hands, or kissing, or… my mind trailed off. What I need right now is privacy.

Oblivious to their discussion, I blurted, "Can I use the restroom?" I waited, but neither heard me. So, I shouted, "Guys!" That got their attention. "Restroom?"

"Sure," Caitlin responded first. She walked toward a door and pressed a key code in. "Down the hall to the right."

"Thanks," I said as I passed through the doorway past her.

Of course, even the restroom was high tech. It glowed blue from the white LED's trimming the metallic walls in room. There were three stalls. I chose the last one, out of habit— to cry in. It wasn't because the embarrassment, it wasn't because of Cisco; it was because my predicament has finally caught up to me. It's pressing down on me so hard I can't breathe. I don't need comforting, nor do I need the saving hand of The Flash or Cisco's soothing touch. What I needed more than anything was calm. At that moment, I felt the tingle—that luscious cinnamon oil against my skin sensation. It absorbed inside my very core and trickled down like cool water. I felt all at once a sense of calm. My heart rate dropped, my mind slipped out of place and into peace.

I heard the door burst open and Caitlin's voice shout, "Lena, you did it!"

I sniffed, wiping my tears away. "What?"

"The… pathokensis," she said.

Well, this is awkward.

They're going to think I did some kind of pathokinesis while on the toilet. Great. But I knew she was right. I felt that tingly sensation and a comforting sense of calm. I never can make myself calm. That made me smile. I finally have some control over my emotions. I can make myself feel calm without anyone's help.

Caitlin yelled, "Did you—uh… actually do it… feel anything?"

"I'll be out in a moment," I called back.

"Okay," replied Caitlin.

I heard the restroom door close. I slipped out of the stall and washed my hands, splashing cool water on my red, swollen eyes. Good thing I didn't get the chance to put on mascara this morning.

When I joined Caitlin and Cisco again, they bombarded me with questions. I told them a revised version of what happened. I left out the part where I reenacted a typical teenage girl scene from a pathokinetic episode. I watched as my temperature and blood pressure spiked, and my brain activity looked like a line climbing up and down a very rocky road.

Before any further discussion could be done on the matter, an alarm went off on the computers.

Cisco looked to Caitlin. "Call Barry!"

Caitlin nodded.

As the madness ensued, I excused myself into another room that appeared to be a storage room. It contained scraps of technology, a few microscopes, a chalkboard, and a couple more long cluttered tables. I wondered the kind of mysterious and groundbreaking work that was done here that no one would ever hear about. After looking around, I started feeling exhausted. A symptom of my emotional breakdown, I thought. I continued browsing the area, but my legs became heavier and heavier. I grasped for something to hold onto, but before I could, I collapsed.

And everything went black.


End file.
